Independent Party: A timeline

Republican American

2001 – Lawrence V. De Pillo breaks with the Democratic Party establishment, forming a separate slate of candidates and running as a petition-in mayoral candidate_ He loses to Michael J. Jarjura. Still, five of De Pillo’s aldermanic nominees – all Democrats – win. They’re joined by four Democrats aligned with Jarjura. Six Republicans gain seats on the Board of Aldermen, thanks, in part, to a minority party set-aside.

2003 – The Independent Party is formed. De Pillo, its mayoral nominee, doesn’t win. Democrats win nine seats on the Board of Aldermen, Independents six and Republicans are shut out. The Independent triumph is credited to some by lingering disgust over the 2001 arrest of former Mayor Philip Giordano, a Republican.

2005 – Democrats win nine seats on the Board of Aldermen. Independents take four seats and Republicans two.

2007 – Democrats take nine aldermanic seats, Republicans one and the Independent Party five.

2009 – Democrats retain nine aldermanic seats. Independents win four (including a registered Democrat who ran with an Independent Party endorsement) and Republicans two. Republicans and Democrats teamed up in an attempt to squeeze out the Independents. Independents maintain the same number of seats, but two prominent party leaders lost their races in the process.

2011 – The Independent Party is shut out, losing every race for seats on the boards of Aldermen and Education. The campaign had been dominated by a high-profile contest between incumbent Mayor Jarjura, who defected to the Republican camp, and former Police Chief Neil M. O’Leary, who pushed Jarjura aside at the Democratic Town Committee convention. Eight Democrats were elected and seven Republicans. Two of those Republicans were former Independents who switched parties.

2013 – O’Leary cruises to an easy win. Democrats take nine seats on the Board of Aldermen. Republicans hold five seats and Independent Party head De Pillo wins a seat.

2015 – A new system of electing aldermen by district, rather than citywide, allows Democrats to claim 10 seats on the Board of Aldermen as O’Leary wins re-election easily. Republicans beat out Independent Party candidates across the city to claim the remaining five seats. De Pillo loses the mayoral race and his aldermanic seat.